The distribution of routing, topology, reachability, and recovery information from one node of an optical communications network to another is a requirement for automated network provisioning and management. In generalized multi-protocol label switching (GMPLS) optical networks and automatically-switched optical networks (ASONs), this distribution is performed using a routing protocol, such as the open shortest path first (OSPF) routing protocol. Such routing protocols, however, have high overhead requirements and are used to distribute full topology information across the interface between two nodes. Typically, this is not desirable and adds significant development, implementation, and processing costs.
Thus, what is still needed in the art is a low-cost, low-processing overhead mechanism for distributing routing, topology, reachability, and recovery information across the interface between two nodes that may then be used by a network or client device to populate a topology database, route a connection, recover from a connection failure, etc.